looking at lenses
14
What is the index of
In our regular series on dispensing
calculations, Janet Carlton
explains how to calculate the
refractive index of a lens
an unknown lens?
What is the index of an unknown lens, and why do we
need to know? Many of your myopic patients will be wearing a
higher index lens, and may want a new lens with the same index
as before. That’s fine if you originally supplied the lenses, but
with patients ‘shopping around’ you could easily be seeing a
patient who has no previous records with you.
Experienced practitioners may be able to identify some of the
higher-index materials, for example the unique sound a polycar-
bonate lens makes when it is tapped. But as professionals you
need to demonstrate skill, not guesswork (Table 1).
Table 1
-12.00 lens in a 50 eye frame
1.6 lens Cost £40 t=1mm e=7.8mm
1.7 lens Cost £80 t=1mm e=6.7mm 1.1mm thinner than 1.6
1.8 lens Cost £125 t=1mm e=5.4mm 1.3mm thinner than 1.7
(2.4mm thinner than 1.6)
Where t = centre thickness and e = edge thickness
Imagine the scenario where a patient says that he is wearing a
thinner lens, he remembers paying extra for it.
Your new patient is wearing a 1.7 index lens, but you had
assumed that it was 1.6. Your patient would be happy that your
lenses were cheaper (half the price in the above data) but may
decide that the lens was not as thin as the previous one, and insists
that you remake them. Conversely if you assumed that the lenses
were 1.8 and dispensed that, the patient may think that you have
over-charged him, and not appreciate the decrease in thickness.
Had you calculated the index and dispensed the same, the patient
would have been fairly charged, and received the thickness of lens
that he was expecting.
You should have in practice a lens measure; these are normally
calibrated for crown glass (1.523) though some are now calibrated
for both crown and 1.7 index material. Remember to check the
lens measure for accuracy against a known flat edge. A practice
mirror is ideal. If the reading on a plano surface is slightly out, you
will need to amend your final readings. For example, if the lens
measure reads -0.25 rather than zero, all lens readings will be out
by -025.
Now you can start to think about the maths. High-index lenses
are normally minus lenses which can be treated as a ‘thin lens’. So
the calculations will be easy.
So:
F1 + F2 = F’v
F1 may well be plano, do check though. Just because it looks
flat doesn’t mean it is. Use the straight edge of your ruler for an
easy check system, if the edge sits well on the front surface with
no gaps or rocking then assume it is a flat lens. If in doubt use
the lens measure.
The only other equation you need to worry about is:
n - 1 = r identical in index is another millimetre thicker. That seems strange
F until you realise that the centre thickness of a polycarbonate lens
Where n = index, r = radius of curvature and F is the power of
that curve.
It will be unnecessary to actually calculate ‘r’, so a slight adapta-
tion of this equation will give you:
n - 1 (From the lens measure) = n - 1 (Unknown index)
F F (From focimeter)
Optician January 12, 2007 No 6084 Vol 233
You know three of the four variables:
n - 1 = 0.523 (calibrated for crown)
F left of equation = reading from lens measure (F1 + F2 =F’v)
F right of equation = reading from the focimeter
So:
(0.523) x (F Actual from focimeter) + 1 = Unknown index
F1+F2 from the lens measure
Do remember that by treating the lens as thin, the answer you
get will only be a rough answer, so if you get something like 1.787
the index is probably 1.8.
If the current lens is spherical, then this calculation is simple,
but it is more likely that the lenses will be toric. Take both the lens
measure reading and the focimeter readings along the highest (or
lowest) power meridian.
You should never need to worry about index when you have
a hyperopic patient, as high-index materials make very little
noticeable difference in thickness. Should you need to calculate
the index of a plus lens you will need the ‘thick lens’ equation to
replace ‘F1 + F2 = F’v’ in the previous equation.
The thick lens equation is:
F’v = F1 + F2 -dF1F2
1 - dF2
where d = t/n, (t is measured with thickness callipers, in metres
and n = 1.523)
Table 2
Some values for index (N), Abbé number (V) and density for
currently available lens materials
N V Density g/cm3
Plastics
ADC ‘CR 39’ 1.498 58 1.32
(Allyl diglycol carbonate monomer)
PMMA 1.491 58 1.2
(Polymethyl methacrylate)
Triology/Trivex 1.53 45 1.1
Resin lenses 1.537 47 1.21
1.56 37.7 – 41 1.17 - 1.27
Polycarbonate 1.586 30 1.2
Glass
1.523 58 2.55
1.6 42 2.65
Table 2 shows some optical properties (including refractive
index) for a range of lens materials.
We need to take care in using the index as the only criterion for
providing the best lens for our patients. In our example above the
1.6 lens was 7.8mm thick, but a polycarbonate lens (1.589) almost
is greater, at 2mm. A higher-index lens is not always the answer,
especially with today’s fashion for small frames. Looking back to
our original data, where a 50mm diameter CR39 lens was 10.7mm
thick, were that glazed in a 44 eye the edge thickness would be
7.8mm, the same as a 1.6 lens. Interesting!
◆Janet Carlton is the dispensing clinic manager at City University
Optometry Clinic
www.opticianonline.net